A3C is the first music festival I attended. Being that I’m done school, I finally have the time to plan for and go to these type of events. A3C is held in Atlanta (my first time in the A as well) and features a plethora of panels and showcases. I had no idea what to expect but I learned a lot about myself, people, and the music business.

1.) Be Prepared:I went to A3C alone. Although I knew I’d bump into people I knew & meet new people, I was not as prepared as I thought. Since I’m fresh out of school, I don’t really have a “title” on what I do. After hearing what people said they do, in a sense I felt a little discouraged even though I’ve been a part of a few things in relation to my field (marketing) in the past years. I’d rather let the work speak for itself BUT for future events, I’ll definitely have an elevator pitch ready & some promotional items so that I don’t sell myself short.

*SN: You have a better chance of meeting more people if you are alone, you’re not limited to hanging around with people you already know well the whole time.

2.) Don’t give out cards to everyone: Everyone I gave my card to, I at least took the time to speak to. I also asked for cards more than just giving mine out. But I did see others do this. With all the people at this event, not everyone may put your card to use if you didn’t let them know a little more about you. They might also forget because the card was just handed to them with no real conversation.

3.) There’s so many opportunities: & so much money in this world. Other than NYC, Atlanta is a great market for the music industry. Being at this festival was motivation. Most people who attend have the same vision as you in being great and reaching their next level whether they’re a musician, manager, marketer, etc…

The Festival

PRO: A lot of people to meet, many talented artists, insightful panels.

CON: The venues for the shows weren’t close enough, so it was hard to decide what to attend if the performances weren’t close to each other.

Some showcases I attended included: Powerhouse, Tennessee Stage, Allhiphop, HustlePalooza, Boston showcase, & Datpiff. All which had some talented, good music making artists for me to add to my playlist. The panels I attended were: Booking for a Living, Business of Fashion, Stage Presence workshop, & Women in Hip-Hop.